Hearing aid attachment for spectacles



July 29, 1947. e. P. KIMMEL HEARING AID ATTACHMENT FTOR SPECTACLES FiledDec. 18, 1944 Patented July 29, 1947 NSITED .iSTATES or-rice HEARINGATTAcHMENrFoR SPECTAGIIES G o -Kim BmckevillesMd Application December18, 1.943L1SeriaPNo.568,;74'6

Theinvention-relatesto a support of a'hearing aid or more specificallyto a-bone oscillator support. The boneoscillator is'used by people whosehearing impairment is confined -t'odefectsOther thanin the inner and/ ormiddle ear and'whose auditory nerve is unimpaired. Sound vibration canbe made to act-on the auditory nerve through the bones of the head,especially through the mastoid bone.

Various types of devices have been designedjfor holding the boneoscillator in place -with proper pressure against the-mastoidtemporalbone. The most common among these devices is the headband-which may bebent =to'the curvature of the dome of .the head and bears with both endsagainst 'the'head, one ofthese ends carrying the oscillator which isthus pressed against the mastoid bone. The consultant fitting ahard-ofhearing person with a boneoscillator will bend a headband to whathe considersaiproper shape. The ends of this band press in a mostunpleasant way against the head andhave'been the cause of the refusal ofmany persons whose hearing was impaired and who were compelled to usearibone oscillator, to wear the'aid. The-main reason has already beengiven; a second reason isthe conspicuity of the'headband.

This invention proposes to overcome theydisadvantages of the presenthearin aid supp rts by utilizing the-rear 'endportion of. 'one or'fbothof a'pair of spectacles as a means for supporting the aid, especiallythat one known as a bone conductor which should contact the mastoid bonelocated behind the ear. Many people in need of a hearing aid also needspectacles and others not in need of spectacles can wear them withPlanoglass which does not function as a lens. At any rate, people whowear spectacles do not feel embarrassed or are not sensitive as arepeople wearing a hearing aid, especially a bone conductor at presentsupported by a conspicuous headband as a support.

This invention relieves people using a bone conductor of physical andmental discomfort. In fact the use this device makes the oscillator soinconspicuous that one conferring with a user would ordinarily neverdiscover that a hearing aid was being used.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from theaccompanying specification, the invention consists of various featuresof construction and combination of parts which will be first describedin connection with the accompanying drawing, showing a support for abearing device embodying the invention, and the features 19'Glaims.(01379-411170 2 forming the inventionwill be specifically pointed out inthe claims.

' lin the drawing:

Figure =l-'i-s an elevation of-the rear endportion of the 'bow of a pa ner spectacles, not shown, carrying the bone oscillator -ina mostinconspicuous place, namely behind the -ear;

FigureZ is a sectional View on 1ine'2 -2=of-Fi ure 1 showing the outlineof the car as viewed *from -therear'indotted lines Figure 3 is anenlarged section par-allel to that of ,Figure 2 and forwardly thereof"Figure l is -aif-ront view -of the-bar carrying the oscillator;

" "'Figure -oisa longitudinal section on line S 5 of Figure 4.

fNumeral "denotes the rear portion of a bow of a pair'of spectacles,thef-ront and other bow of which are {not shown. This portion is placedon andbehind the ear as illustratedin Figure "2 and should preferablyhave -a substantial cross section (Figure 3) and can be made of plasticor other-suitable material-which will resist torsional strains or-twisting. This rear end portion of the bow has an aperture 3adjacentthe end extending downwardly and inwardly toward the head. Theapertured portion -of the --bow issurrounded by a reinforcing sleeve 4of metal or other suitable material which has outwardly wideningopenings 5 that register withthe aperture mentioned. 6-is-a barextending from the midpoint of a clevis, having spring arms, the ends ofwhich are seated rotatably in sockets on the bone conductor B so thatthe latter can assume that position of maximum contact with the mastoidbone M which is conducive to good reception. Rod 6, as shown in thedrawing, is curved longitudinally whereby its relative position withinthe opening in the bow determines the degree of pressure necessary tosuit the hearing of the individual wearer. Rod 6 may also be adjustedrelative to the bow so that irritation caused by contact of the boneconduction element on one spot may be readily and quickly relieved. Rod6 of any suitable cross section has in its outer side a depression 1 inone end of which a spring 8 is secured by riveting or otherwise. Theintermediate portion of the spring is bowed outwardly out of thedepression and will press against the adjacent side of the aperture inthe bow. The upper end of bar 6 should be rounded off for easy insertionin the aperture and the openings in the sleeve.

Changes may be made in the arrangement of parts as described andillustrated in the accompanying drawing without departing from thespring on the bar and frictionally engaging a side wall in the aperture.

2. In combination with a pair of spectacles, a bow connected thereto andhaving an aperture,

in its rear portion, a sleeve surrounding the apertured part andprovided with openings registering with the aperture, a bar insertablein the aperture and openings for supporting a hearing aid against thehead and having a depression in one.

side and a spring fastened in the depression and bearing against a wallof the aperture.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a hearing aid element, a forkedmember, means rockably mounting said element between the arms of saidmember, a longitudinally curved supporting rod rotatably carried by saidmember, and a retaining means carried by said rod for holding the latteron a support.

4. A new article of manufacture as set forth in claim 3, wherein saidretaining means comprises a bowed spring.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a hearing aid means for attachmentin depending relation to a bow of an ophthalmic mounting, said meanscomprising a bone conduction element, a -U- shaped member rockablysecured at the free ends thereof to said element, a supporting rodrotatably secured at one end thereof to the bight of said U-shapedmember, and means carried by said rod for detachably securing the latterto a bow of the mounting. I

6. The combination with an ophthalmic mounting having a pair of bows, atleast one of said bows having an opening therethrough inclineddownwardly and inwardly toward the head adjacent the rear end thereof,at least one bone conduction element, and means carried by said elementengageable in said opening for detachably securing said element independing relation to said one how.

7. The combination with an ophthalmic mount- 4 ing having a, pair ofbows, at least one of said bows having an opening therethrough inclineddownwardly and inwardly toward the head adjacent the rear end thereof,at least one bone conduction element, means carried by said elementengageable in said opening for detachably securing said element independing relation to said one bow, and at least one reinforcing sleevetelescoping the rear end of said one how and formed with openingsregistering with the ends of said first opening. 8. An ophthalmicmounting including a pair of bows of relatively rigid construction andhaving .a. characteristic to resiliently resist torsional strainslongitudinally thereof, a bone conduction element, a fork memberrockably engaging said element, and a. longitudinally bent supportingmember rotatably carried by said fork member and removably secured toone of said bows whereby to normally press said element against thehead, the pressure of said element against the head being proportionateto the resistance of said one bow against torsional twisting.

9. The combination with an ophthalmic mounting having a pair of bows,each bow being of relatively rigid construction and having substantiallygreater width than thickness, one of said bows having an openingtherethrough, a bone conduction element, and means engaging in saidopening for dependingly supporting said element from said onebow, saidmeans being so constructed and arranged as to firmly hold said elementagainst the head, and the thickness of said one bow being such as toresiliently resist torsional strain thereon to thereby hold said elementagainst the head.

. GEORGE P. KIhfl/IEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,337,953 Wirshing -1 Dec. 28,1943 2,249,572 Lieber July 15, 1941 2,179,615 Craig Nov.. 14, 19392,168,781 Peterson Aug. 8, 1939 2,148,024 Koch Feb. 21, 1939 1,567,105Bohlman Dec. 29, 1925 1,503,908 Manson Aug. 5, 1924

